UNDERGRADUATE FINANCIAL AID

Yes – if you are applying before your first year as an early decision or regular decision student. However, funding is limited. See the International Student page for more information.

It is never too late to apply for financial aid. Follow the steps outlined in the Apply for Aid section. However, if aid funds are limited, priority will be given to families who met the deadlines. Tuition deposit deadlines will not be extended.

Instead of submitting these forms late, fill them out using your best estimates of your tax information. Most people can do this by using their prior year taxes and their last paystub for the tax year. You should still submit copies of both your parents' and your actual taxes by March 5.

Federal regulations require that the forms be completed with information about the custodial parent's household. Therefore, if your custodial parent has remarried, information about his/her spouse should be included on the forms.

If your family's financial circumstances have not changed much from year to year, you can expect a similar package. Fluctuations of income, assets, family size, and number of students in college may affect your aid package.

You should provide as much information as possible about your unique circumstances at the time you submit your financial aid application. The Financial Aid Office will consider this information when assessing the expected family contribution. For more information on how the expected family contribution is determined, please see the Financial Eligibility page.

Yes, you may be considered for financial aid at any time. However, funds are limited and you may not be considered for all programs.

For entering freshman, financial aid is generally renewable for up to 12 quarters of enrollment unless you are admitted to a program that requires more than 12 quarters for completion.

A student must be enrolled in a minimum of two classes in order to receive federal and institutional aid. The only exception is the Federal Pell Grant, which may be available to qualifying part-time students.

A student is considered to be independent for federal funding purposes if he or she is 24 years of age, a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, an orphan or ward of the court, has legal dependents other than a spouse, is married, or is a graduate student. However, a student entering Northwestern as a dependent student will remain dependent for institutional funding unless he/she can provide documentation of extreme mitigating circumstances. Unwillingness to pay on the part of a parent is not considered a sufficient reason for a student to be considered independent.

If you will be graduating early, your aid for terms of non-enrollment will be cancelled. Aid for the spring term cannot be reallocated for the fall and winter. If you are planning to graduate early, please be sure to notify our office as soon as possible.

Students who cannot afford the cost of the Northwestern health plan can request assistance by submitting a Health Insurance Assistance Request Form directly to our office. If you submitted a certification signed by your parent(s) last year, you can appeal to the Financial Aid Committee Office indicating that your family's status remains the same. We use specific criteria in determining eligibility for assistance. To be considered for additional assistance for the academic year, your total family contribution must be $5,500 or less. The type of assistance provided to cover the additional health insurance costs will be based upon the availability of funds.

As a RA, you are not charged for room and board. We take the average room and board figure used for financial aid and reduce your aid by that amount. We reduce self-help (subsidized loans and work-study) first. If additional adjustments are needed, the Northwestern Scholarship is reduced accordingly.

Faculty/staff rebates received on behalf of our students are considered additional resources, and the financial aid award must be adjusted. A faculty/staff rebate replaces University assistance first, and then reduces a student’s self-help (subsidized loans, Federal Work-Study).

There are very strict regulations governing the awarding of athletic scholarships to students. It is important that you contact the appropriate coach to determine your eligibility.

No. We are not able to process aid for students studying at other United States campuses or abroad on unaffiliated programs.